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The Miami HEAT host the Utah Jazz at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT enter with a record of 17-6 and sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Jazz are 14-13. Tip off is set for 7:30 PM; coverage on Sun Sports starts at 7 PM.

1. Miami has another Top-5 offensive rebounding team in town tonight in the Utah Jazz. Should that be a concern?

Couper Moorhead: As much as we have discussed how silly overall rebounding margin is over the past few days, the purpose was never to excuse the HEAT for giving up offensive boards. It is a reality of this roster that they have to put an extraordinary effort on the defensive glass to keep teams like Utah, Denver and Minnesota away from those second-chance possessions, but it’s not as if other teams don’t struggle as well. I suspect that Utah will end up with about 10-15 offensive rebounds tonight, but we’ll have to see whether those extra opportunities translate to efficiency.

Danny Martinez: It will certainly be something to keep an eye on. “Concern” might be a bit strong. The HEAT will have to limit the Jazz’ effectiveness when they do get the rebound. Against the Timberwolves, the HEAT got beat up on the glass, but they were able to limit the Timberwolves’ shooting. Just because a team gets multiple looks doesn’t mean they’re good looks. If the HEAT keep up the defense of the last few weeks, the offensive rebounds won’t be a huge problem

2. What would you do with the Utah frontcourt considering both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap will be free agents in the summer?

Couper: It depends on the value each would bring back individually in a trade – we can’t just assume that both will fetch the same return because there’s no saying the same teams will have the same interest. Jefferson is central to Utah’s offense right now and moving him would require quite a bit of reconfiguration, but if he isn’t in their long-term plans anyway then that shouldn’t be as big a deal as it would seem. Millsap affects more of the game on either end of the court and certainly offers more versatility, so he would be my choice if they can only keep one in the interests of getting Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter more playing time. It’s going to be a tough decision either way, but it’s a nice problem to have during a rebuilding process.

Danny: This is tough. A lot of their decision will come down to the development of Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. If the Jazz believe both are franchise cornerstones, then there’s no harm in trying to get value in return through trades either this season or this summer. The Jazz have had a strong offense the last few seasons, but a fairly weak defense. Moving Jefferson or Millsap would theoretically give Favors more minutes, which should help the defense.

3. Is it possible this is Miami’s biggest defensive test of the month, at least until the Thunder game?

C: For a few reasons, yes. Outside of the Lakers, in theory at least, the Utah frontcourt was always going to be one of the greatest tests for Miami’s smallball, especially if Ty Corbin throws out his Millsap-Jefferson-Favors lineups that he’s used on occasion. But it’s not just about size. Utah’s offense involves a ton of off-ball movement and activity, meaning that any defender not keeping an eye on multiple offensive players is liable to get beat by a backdoor cut or caught off guard by a screen. If the HEAT shut down this offense, there won’t be much to complain about with the defense for quite some time.

Danny: I don’t think the Jazz’ offense is nearly as potent as the Knicks’. That being said, the Jazz give the HEAT a look that they haven’t seen much of. With their frontcourt, the Jazz are tough to matchup with. Especially when they use their jumbo lineup with Paul Millsap at the three. Mo Williams and Marvin Williams provide space with their shooting, giving the Jazz a true inside-out game. They’re tough, but not the toughest offense the HEAT have faced in December.

4. Chris Bosh or Paul Millsap for a last-second three-point attempt?

Couper: This is a tough one. Both players have certainly hit some big threes over the last few years if we’re going to judge on clutch performance, but Millsap is likely the better three-point shooter right now based simply on percentages and volume. I’ll cheat and say Millsap if there is time on the clock to actually run a play and Bosh, because of his quick release, if there is only time for a catch-and-shoot.

Danny: Ha. Both have hit a few big ones the last few seasons. I think Bosh is the better shooter, so I’ll roll with him. He’s comfortable from deep, especially in the corners.

5. How much credit does Joel Anthony get for the defensive turnaround of December?

Couper: Considering that teams only score 96 points per 100 possessions when Anthony is on the floor, it’s impossible to say that he hasn’t made a huge difference, but the lion’s share of credit has to be spread over the entire rotation. Having a mobile big man around to clean up mistakes makes it easier for the guards to be aggressive on the ball and really attack the passing lanes, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to make smart rotations and close out on shooters, and the activity level has been much better recently. Saying that one player fixed everything doesn’t accurately portray the burden that lies with an entire team.

Danny: A fair amount. Anthony covers so much ground, so fast, that his impact is significant. His pick-and-roll coverage has been a huge help. When he’s on the floor, teams really struggle. He’s not the only reason for the turnaround, but he’s a big one.

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Considering BOSH will sit this one out,RASHARD should get some extensive minutes,along with the WARDEN.Let's just hope the shots for the HEAT are falling tonight.MIAMI will have to be crisp on the defensive side of the ball as well.If we play efficiently,we shall be ok.Looking for a big night from our guards...TEAM HEAT since '88!

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Considering BOSH will sit this one out,RASHARD should get some extensive minutes,along with the WARDEN.Let's just hope the shots for the HEAT are falling tonight.MIAMI will have to be crisp on the defensive side of the ball as well.If we play efficiently,we shall be ok.Looking for a big night from our guards...TEAM HEAT since '88!

doubt it..its gonna be difficult cuz we need Bosh's length & spacing

+ Jefferson & Millsap bout to feast on them boards.........

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Joseph Goodman: DWYANE WADE: "We kind of got behind the eight ball because we were doing what worked for us in The Finals and late in the playoffs but I think this is right what we need now—bigger lineup, as conventional as we can go.”

Well hopefully pittman can show something but that would be a miracle. Man we need to trade for another solid big.

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Considering BOSH will sit this one out,RASHARD should get some extensive minutes,along with the WARDEN.Let's just hope the shots for the HEAT are falling tonight.MIAMI will have to be crisp on the defensive side of the ball as well.If we play efficiently,we shall be ok.Looking for a big night from our guards...TEAM HEAT since '88!

plus Miami is putting too much pressure on Lebron at the 4 w. the small lineups in the reg season, they might as well just experiment w. either Pittman or Harrelson till playoff time comes, not because they're any good, although Harrelson might be, but playing small against lineups where they get manhandled downlow is senseless. You gotta preserve your best player instead of trying to milk him during the reg season, plus they need to be giving those guys reps anyway...that's one of the reasons why Pittman is raw & Harrelson is in his 2nd yr

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Something is seriously wrong with Erik Spo I mean seriously why won't he play Pittman even if he gets in foul trouble I still start him over Battier.

If the Heat players get tire and wear down by the end of the season blame Erik Spo b/c this guy his just wearing down his players by time playoffs start. Pittman or Jort should be starting at Center and bosh move to pf position.

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Similar Content

Photo Credit: David Dow
With the pain of missing the playoffs by the slimmest of margins ingrained in their memory, the HEAT entered the 2017-18 season seeking redemption. Take a look back at how Miami achieved that goal here.

Photo Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant
The Miami HEAT fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 104-91 Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Kelly Olynyk led the way for the HEAT with 18 points. Philadelphia wins the series 4-1. Click here for the full recap on HEAT.com

Photo Credit: David Dow
The Miami HEAT face the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Philadelphia leads the series 3-1. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 7:30 PM. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.
1: What can we learn from Philadelphia’s late push to a Game 4 victory?
Couper Moorhead: This won’t be a comforting statistic for anyone to read, but the 76ers were the first team to win a playoff game with 26 or more turnovers since 1986. For that to come up as the difference between a tied series and going on the road down 3-1 certainly can’t be easy for HEAT, but that’s the reality of the situation.
Those turnovers, and 18 Miami steals, were by and large the reason the HEAT were playing with around a 10-point lead for much of the game. They were out attacking passing lanes, getting deflections (with over 20 for the third-straight game) and contesting every Philadelphia three possible (22.6 percent from distance). It was, in so many words, the HEAT playing a very HEAT game in every way you would expect, from the physicality to the discipline on display defensively, where they cut off drives and recovered to shooters. They were in control of both the game and the score.
So how did the Sixers come back despite all of that? Six quick points from Ersan İlyasova, including a tough three, at the end of the third made it was four-point game headed into the final period. And then Philadelphia’s defense came alive, holding Miami to just 19 points in the period. And maybe that’s all there is to really learn. You can play some of your best basketball, but in a closely contested series against a talented opponent just one stretch of mistakes can cost you a handful on the scoreboard. Miami has done enough to beat a good number of teams, it just wasn’t quite enough to beat Philadelphia on Saturday.
Joe Beguiristain: We just continued to see how tough the 76ers are. Even with some great defense by Miami for most of the contest (the HEAT totaled 18 steals, including seven from Josh Richardson) and a late offensive surge by Dwyane Wade (12 points on 5-of-10 shooting in the fourth), Philadelphia never lost its composure.
Much like in Game 3, the 76ers upped their defensive pressure and came through with timely offensive rebounds to escape with the narrow victory despite committing a whopping 27 turnovers.
While J.J. Redick and Ben Simmons made some big plays late, the HEAT did a great job against Joel Embiid and made his catches tough throughout. In fact, Hassan Whiteside held Embiid to just 1-of-8 shooting and an unreal five turnovers. Bam Adebayo, meanwhile, fared just as well and limited the Cameroonian to 0-of-3 shooting and three turnovers.
It would be unreasonable to expect that once again, but it will take that kind of effort from both bigs if Miami wants to come out ahead this time around.
2: Are there any adjustments Miami can make to try and force a Game 6?
Couper: Erik Spoelstra will likely take a look at everything, from making lineup changes to changing defensive coverages to shifting offensive responsibilities. He’s not one to leave things on the table. But for everything he’ll likely look at, it’s very possible that there aren’t actually many major changes that need to be made. You go down 3-1 in a series and it’s easy to think drastic adjustments are in line, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, and we’ve said this here before, the best adjustment is just doing what you’ve been doing and doing it better. The HEAT have already been doing things very, very well, but if being even better than that is what it takes, then so be it. As Spoelstra has said a number of times in this series, that’s the challenge.
Joe: At this point, I don’t think there is much to change or adjust for either team. Although Miami is down 3-1, this has been a highly competitive series between two teams that really get after it. Sure, Erik Spoelstra might make a few minor tweaks to his rotation based on player performance, but that’s been the case all year long. And as Coup mentioned in his first response, the HEAT have executed well enough to win most of these games, so it’s really just a matter of sustaining that high level of play for longer periods of time.
At the end of the day, Miami just needs to keep up its defensive activity to make up for the size disparity and continue to attack in the pick-and-roll to create more openings on the other end.
We’ll see how it all plays out.
3: The HEAT have led at halftime of each game this series. What can they do better to hold leads in the second half?
Couper: Something Dwyane Wade emphasized a number of times following Game 4 was that the Sixers make you pay for every single mistake you make. If you take your foot off the gas for just a couple of minutes, those minutes are going to cost you.
Now, it’s probably not fair to say the HEAT have ever really taken their foot off the gas given how consistently hard they have been playing on the defensive end, but they have certainly had some offensive droughts that have allowed the Sixers to make up some ground. That’s not always to say they stop getting good shots or don’t run their offense, but even going cold on wide open shots for a minute or two is enough to turn a game – such as at the end of the third quarter on Saturday, which snowballed into an extended Philadelphia run – in a series where both teams are in overdrive. That’s also been a bit of a trend at times for Miami this season, where they’ll have one down six-minute stretch even in games where they’re otherwise topping 26-28 in a quarter, and trends like that can carry over to the postseason even if you can minimize them.
Spoelstra has said he’s been looking for a complete game from his team at times this season. He’s been getting complete effort, but the HEAT might just need complete offense to start a comeback. And they’ll have to do it against a team that’s proved to be capable of truly elite level defense.
Joe: Although the HEAT have done a great job of building early leads, the 76ers have responded well time and time again down the stretch. Thanks to Philadelphia’s fusion of length and discipline, the team has made things quite difficult on Miami in the halfcourt more often than not. As such, it’ll behoove the HEAT to push the pace as much as possible and get some easy buckets in transition. But if the opportunity doesn’t present itself, Miami should still be able to find some success in the pick-and-roll with Dragić and Wade attacking and Whiteside and Adebayo diving to the rim with force. In addition to defending Embiid really well in Game 4, both HEAT centers threw down some ferocious alley-oops on the break, so perhaps they can continue that and also translate it to set offense on Tuesday.
Highlights:
Game 4 – 76ers at HEAT
Game 3 – 76ers at HEAT
Game Notes:
Goran Dragić leads Miami with 19.5 points per game during the postseason.
Ben Simmons leads Philadelphia in points (19.3), rebounds (10.8), assists (9.8) and steals (2.5) per contest in the playoffs.
The HEAT are 8-2 in their last 10 elimination games.
Josh Richardson (left shoulder sprain) is listed as questionable.

Photo Credit: Issac Baldizon
The Miami HEAT fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 106-102 Saturday afternoon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Dwyane Wade led the way for the HEAT with 25 points. Philadelphia now leads the series 3-1. Click here for the full recap on HEAT.com.